My reaction to Panty and Stocking with Garterbelt #1

October 3, 2010

It is not often that the first episode of an anime series leaves me
boggled as my major reaction.

The best way I can think of to describe P&S is that it feels
like Gainax decided that they wanted to make a modern American
cartoon and then turn the age limit up (without turning up the
maturity level, which appears to be set firmly at the Ren & Stimpy
or Beavis & Butthead level). The result is extremely unlike almost
all of the other anime I've seen, including Gainax's other work.

(In a very bad way, Gurren Lagann is the closest other anime that I
can think of, in that it started out as a deliberately over the top take
on Japanese giant robot anime. You could perhaps say that P&S is an even
more over the top take on modern American cartoons, given a Japanese
twist and a much increased age limit.)

Aroduc's summary of the first episode
will give you a more detailed rundown if you want it. Do not worry about
reading spoilers; P&S is not the sort of experience that can really
be spoiled.

I don't know if I like it, because the question feels inapplicable.
This is not a show that you like, this is a show that you watch in
horrified fascination because you can't turn away. (Or that you flee
from with all due speed. It is possible that this is the most sensible
reaction to P&S.)

I fall into the 'boggled and unable to look away' camp, so I will be
watching the next episode. Of course I have no idea what it will be
like; P&S is already so bizarre that it would not surprise me in the
least if Gainax changed things majorly every episode (or every few
episodes or whatever), depending on how thoroughly they want to run
the current joke into the ground.